A road improvement project more than 30 years in the making is underway
in Halifax County.
Whiteís Construction, working for the Virginia Department of
Transportation, is clearing land adjacent to King Village Trail in
preparation for widening and upgrading the gravel road. The $267,000
project is due to be completed Dec. 15.
Although the project had been discussed for many years, it did not move
forward until about four years ago when the county entered into
negotiations with property owners to obtain easements to widen the
road.
Bryan Foster, county administrator, said yesterday that negotiations
were underway when he came here in 2004.
Foster said that owners of property on both sides of the road donated
land. All but one family.
Negotiations with the Lacy family led to an agreement that the county
would acquire the land for $50,000. The deal fell through.
An eminent domain suit filed in 2005 was settled this spring when the
U.S. Supreme Court declined to rule on the case. The Court of Halifax
County previously had ruled in the countyís favor. The Supreme Court of
Virginia had declined to hear the case, Foster said.
The 0.88 mile road leads runs off Route 614 (Love Shop Road) near the
T-intersection with Route 651 (Cowford Road).
Jimmy Epps, VDOT assistant administrator for the VDOT Halifax office,
said Tuesday that workers will widen and grade the existing road bed to
bring it up to VDOT minimum requirements for a rural rustic update. 
VDOT will take over maintenance of the road, which will provide
improved access for neighborhood residents.
Epps said residents will be able to use the road to reach their homes
while construction is underway.